Chapter 435: Chapter 434: Could it be a Conspiracy?
Just as he entered the palace gate, Shi Xiaole was met with a vast square paved with white marble. Its appearance was hard to distinguish due to the accumulation of soil over the years.
In fact, Shi Xiaole had already gleaned from the resources of the Divine Strategy academy that the Jade Sword Palace spans several thousand acres, and what was currently exposed was only a miniscule fraction of it.
Piles of earth, both big and small, covered over pavilions and buildings.
Glancing around, Shi Xiaole noticed a loft about sixty percent visible to open air. However, he was not eager to venture in, cautious about the potential danger that lurked.
Sure enough, soon after, Zhu Wen, the chubby ’White Pig Butcher’, emerged with a grin, carrying a sword on his back and a sandalwood box tied around his waist. His loot seemed pretty substantial.
"This adventure will surely make me a fortune."
Upon a closer look, Zhu Wen shifted direction and moved toward another exposed structure in the distance.
After waiting for a while, Shi Xiaole only then entered the building from which Zhu Wen had emerged. This was likely the abode of some high-ranking official of the Jade Sword Palace. The inside was intricately decorated, with even a separate training room on the second floor.
"A mid-grade spiritual sword?"
On a table, Shi Xiaole saw a copper long sword broken into several pieces.
He had once acquired a method for forging low-grade spiritual weapons, and had personally crafted several spiritual swords. Thus, he quickly identified that this was a mid-grade spiritual sword based on specific features.
Unfortunately, the sword seemed to have been damaged long ago, and coupled with the wear of thousands of years, it had lost its power and become a pile of scrap copper.
"As the rumors go, thousands of years ago, the method of forging was not yet lost and spiritual weapons were prevalent. Even many Xuanqi Realm martial artists could possess low-grade spiritual weapons. It seems the rumors are true."
From the bookshelves in the loft, Shi Xiaole learned that this was the residence of an administrative Elder.
If even an administrative Elder could possess a mid-grade spiritual sword that seemed to be casually placed without treasuring it, one could imagine how thriving the Martial World was thousands of years ago.
Other than the ruined mid-grade spiritual sword, the table also held several opened porcelain bottles. Predictably, the medicinal pill contained within had outlived its efficacy. As for the books, they had decomposed into fragments.
"If this is the residence of an administrative Elder...."
The layout of living quarters in martial sects wasn’t randomly planned. They were typically designed following a rule that began with low-rank dwellings in front, more esteemed ones in the back, those on the left held higher importance than those on right. The typical front courtyard housed servants, ordinary disciples, and even the Outer Sect Elders, while the residences of administrative Elders and high-ranking officials were in the back courtyard.
Shi Xiaole glanced around, visualizing a scene in his mind with the present loft as the center. He then used his Wind God Leg technique and headed south.
Despite not being sure of the exact location, a general estimation could still be made.
Shortly after, Shi Xiaole stopped on a large mound of soil. He took out a hoe he had bought earlier from the market and began to dig. Driven by Invisible Gang Qi, Shi Xiaole dug three zhang (approx. 10 meters) within a quarter of an hour and, brushing the dirt off, quickly recognized a finely crafted jade door. He then pushed it open.
Compared to the loft of the administrative Elder, the sight behind the door could truly be described as luxurious. With various furniture, screens and even carpets of immense value, this must definitely be the residence of some high-ranking official of the Jade Sword Palace.
Of course, one could not judge the prosperity of the Martial World thousands of years ago by the standards of the Jade Sword Palace. According to the Divine Strategy Academy, the Jade Sword Old Man was known for his extravagant lifestyle. The prominence of the Jade Sword Palace at that time far surpassed the most powerful entity in Xuanwu State.
Shi Xiaole’s attention was quickly caught by an ancient sword hanging on the wall.
Clang.
As the sword left its sheath, its chilling lustre caused a momentary sting in Shi Xiaole’s eyes.
A mid-grade spiritual sword, and looking at its quality, it’s far superior to the broken copper sword from earlier!
"Hold on."
Before he could rejoice, dense cracks suddenly spread across the pale sword, and with a few snaps, it crumbled into sheets of metal on the ground.
"The spiritual sword, due to its strong internal energy, can’t usually be preserved for long. Low-grade spiritual swords have a lifespan of about a thousand years, mid-grade spiritual swords typically about one thousand five hundred years. It seems the history of this sword is longer."
Suddenly, Shi Xiaole noticed three small characters at the top of the sword body: a replica of the Cold Shadow.
"So, it’s a copy of the Cold Shadow Sword."
The real Cold Shadow Sword, one of the ten legendary divine swords of the Divine Continent’s East Victory, was said to gather the world’s ultimate cold spirit, casting no shadow when drawn, and killing invisibly.
After rifling through the room again, Shi Xiaole finally had some gains.
For instance, he found some Bodhi seeds that could help one achieve a calm and tranquil mood, Dragon Essence grass that could greatly boost one’s vitality, and some other quite treasured healing medicinal herbs.
Among these, the Dragon Essence grass was the most valuable. Consuming it could not only enhance vitality, but also improve bodily muscles and meridians. If practiced in conjunction with horizontal training exercises, it could significantly boost the strength of Spiritual-Passage Realm level horizontal practice martial artists.
Despite his considerable finds, Shi Xiaole’s brow was furrowed in quiet thought.
Considering the residence of the previous administrative Elder, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this high-ranking official of the Jade Sword Palace should possess more precious possessions.
After unearthing three more buildings and finding multitude of good stuff, yet nothing that truly matched the status of a high-ranking official of the Jade Sword Palace, Shi Xiaole’s eyebrows creased more deeply, and his unease grew stronger.
Unconsciously, he was reminded of the Heavenly Treasure Ruins circumstance.
At that time, Lord Evil had confessed to him that the Heavenly Treasure Ruins was a conspiracy he had single-handedly plotted. All truly valuable treasures had been relocated by him in advance. Though, he hadn’t predicted the existence of the core mechanism within the ruins.
Could this situation possibly be...
"As the saying goes, ’When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’"
Shaking his head, Shi Xiaole emerged flying from the ground, continuing his excavations elsewhere, but his guard was up more than ever.
Unbeknownst to him, more and more people began entering the Jade Sword Palace. None of them were mediocre—either Dragon Gate Realm powerhouses or extraordinarily gifted prodigies.
And with the passage of time, the number of people was still on the rise.
Shi Xiaole had only relocated twice, but had already witnessed no less than three fight scenes. In such a situation, it was no longer possible to dig in peace.
"Young Master, please wait."
Behind the massive mound across, a short ashen-faced man with a sack on his back walked out, grinning at Shi Xiaole.
"What do you want?"
Shi Xiaole easily perceived that this unassuming man was a fourth-tier expert of the Dragon Gate Realm. The mound had obstructed his perception, otherwise, he would have detected the man’s approach in advance.
"You’ve been busy running around, Young Man. You must have acquired some good things. Let’s see them."
The ashen-faced man leisurely walked closer.
He was fortunate to arrive at the Jade Sword Palace just at the end of the big battle, thus obtaining a Jade Sword Order effortlessly, and entered this place.
He believed it was too bothersome to search the loft, and it was much easier to rob others directly. Before Shi Xiaole, he had already robbed three people and easily obtained many things.
"This kid is doomed, he bumped into ’Scar-faced Flying Mouse’ Fang Hao."
Several experts who saw this scene from a distance didn’t dare to stay, turning their heads and leaving immediately.
"Sorry, I don’t have anything."
Shi Xiaole shook his head.
"You will."
Fang Hao smiled, his left hand gripping the sack tightly, and his right hand suddenly reached out like a claw. But the moment he made his move, he felt a piercing pain in his mind, as if two knives had stabbed into his spirit sea.
At the same time.
Shi Xiaole drew his sword, merging himself with the weapon as he shot out like a swift shooting star carrying the silence of demise.
Killing move: Meteor Demise.
Sizzle!
"Ahh..."
A wound was inflicted on Fang Hao’s right shoulder, blood gushed out, and his face turned pale and ferocious.
"What?"
The experts who were about to leave paused their steps in disbelief.
"How dare you ambush me, kid. You’re courting death."
A sword strike from a first-tier brat of the Dragon Gate Realm injured him, causing Fang Hao to fly into a rage. His right hand moved quickly, dark flashes erupted from his palm, and with each flash, an explosion resounded in the void.
This was his drilling-through-space technique, powerful and pre-emptive, making it almost impossible to defend against. Even an expert of the same level who faced this technique would feel a tremendous headache.
If Shi Xiaole had been an ordinary first-tier expert of the Dragon Gate Realm, he would undoubtedly have been hit. Fortunately, he was not.
The fluctuations in the void were subtle but could not escape Shi Xiaole’s spiritual perception. His body jittered rapidly, always narrowly avoiding the explosion at the last moment, and even took advantage of it to retreat.
"Do you think you can escape?"
Fang Hao, known as the ’Scar-faced Flying Mouse’, excelled in flying skills. His feet shifted slightly as he approached Shi Xiaole in an erratic, zig-zag manner. His right hand repeatedly clawed in the air, creating wave after wave of explosive vigorous air.
Whoosh.
At a crucial moment, Shi Xiaole performed the Meteor Demise again, sprinting forward.
Dark Mouse Bite!
Fang Hao mustered all his strength, with the aid of two-fifths of the earth’s true intent, a phantom image of an old mouse flickered as it burrowed into the ground. When it reappeared, it was under Shi Xiaole, unexpectedly rushing towards his body.
Pop...
The layer of dirt exploded, blood mixed with wood splinters flew out, and thanks to the uneven mounds at the scene, Shi Xiaole managed to escape from Fang Hao successfully.
"You got lucky this time, don’t let me see you again."
Fang Hao gritted his teeth viciously, turning to look for other targets.
In fact, if he had continued chasing, he was confident that he could catch up to Shi Xiaole. However, there were too many experts in this place. If he happened to encounter some troublesome characters because of this, it would result in more harm than good.
"I need to improve my strength."
Behind a mound, Shi Xiaole spat out a mouthful of blood, his face cold.
This encounter, although brief, was extremely dangerous. Because Fang Hao had completely suppressed him. If they had fought in an open place, his probability of escaping wouldn’t exceed fifty percent.
Worse yet, among the experts who had entered the Jade Sword Palace, Fang Hao was far from being the most difficult to deal with. One might not even consider him as one of the tough ones. There were many experts at the fifth-tier of the Dragon Gate Realm.
Should he stay here or leave?
Shi Xiaole was never short of courage to fight till death, but he needed a method for that. Especially when he was suspicious that the appearance of the Jade Sword Palace was perhaps not so simple.
So he decided to stay for one more 2-hour period at most. If he still found nothing, he would leave immediately.
Boom!
Lost in thought, a grand array system energy from the distance suddenly turned into a white pillar of light that shot up into the sky. It pierced through the cloud layer, making everyone in the Jade Sword Palace raise their heads.
The white beam lasted for about ten heartbeats before disappearing.
Many people were amazed to find that among the many mounds to the south, an entrance unexpectedly appeared. Inside were verdant pine trees, and the air faintly carried the sharp edge of Sword Qi. It was a valley indeed.
